


Taking Credence to Diagon Alley

by AlinasTeaParty



Series: The Most Fantastic Creature [1]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2017-01-13
Packaged: 2018-09-07 20:21:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8814958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlinasTeaParty/pseuds/AlinasTeaParty
Summary: Part of a fic I am working on - Credence survives and makes it back to Britain with Newt and meets OC (Winifred "Minnie" Grey, muggleborn, one year younger than newt, eight years - roughly - older than credence)Fluffy family stuff and lots of Ninnie kisses (they have a ship name now, btw, plus it's a play on the word "ninny"... it's symbolic idk) there will probably be a little angst because it's me... I don't even know what I am writing here...





	1. Chapter 1

Newt is looking at me across the pillows, smiling and brushing the back of a crooked finger down my cheek when I sit up suddenly, listening hard.

“What is it?” he asks, his voice full of concern as he pushes himself up, and if I hadn’t been listening so intently, I would have traced the freckled constellations on his chest with my eyes.

“Credence,” I say softly, throwing the covers back and pulling my dressing gown on as I hurry out of Newts bedroom and into the living room. The young boy is curled up in his makeshift bed on the lounge, crying and staring into the low burning fire. I approach him and he doesn’t even seem to notice that I’m there. “Credence, love? Are you alright?” he doesn’t answer but glances at me briefly and his eyes flicker away. Walk to his side, lift his head and sit so that his head is resting in my lap. The only sign that he had registered what was happening was his hand clutching at the fabric of my gown. “Shh, it’s okay, I’m here, it’s okay,” I start to gently play with his hair and even though he continues to cry quietly, his eyes flutter shut as I begin to sing quietly.

 _Nothing’s gonna harm you Not while I'm around Nothing's gonna harm you No sir, not while I'm around_  
_Demons are prowling everywhere Nowadays I'll send 'em howling I don't care, I got ways_  
The tears had trickled to a stop and he was glancing up at me occasionally.  
_No one's gonna hurt you No one's gonna dare Others can desert you Not to worry, whistle, I'll be there_

_Demons'll charm you with a smile For a while But in time nothing can harm you Not while I'm around  
_ _Not to worry, not to worry I may not be smart but I ain't dumb I can do it, put me to it Show me something I can overcome Not to worry, son_

This was where he really started to relax and his eyes fluttered shut.

_Being close and being clever Ain't like being true I don't need to, I would never Hide a thing from you_

By the time I had repeated the chorus again, he was breathing deeply, his mouth hanging open a little and I keep playing with his hair gently.

After a moment, there’s a voice next to my ear, the owners breath tickling my neck.

“Of all the fantastic creatures I’ve met, never have I met one as amazing as you,” I smile and turn my head to kiss his cheek but he turns to do the same and our lips meet. We both start giggling quietly, and he runs a hand through his hair awkwardly, his freckled face flushing red.

“You’re not too bad, yourself, Mr Scamander,” I say quietly and he smiles, still not quite meeting my gaze, but I was used to this and I didn’t mind. It was part of what made him, _him._

“Minnie..” he started, his voice catching in his throat and I look at him and now he looks back. “Would you mind if I took you out to dinner?” I smile and kiss him softly, pulling away slowly.

“I think that would be just fine,” I say quietly, not wanting to wake Credence.

“Can I ask you something?” He turns the arm chair to face me and sits in it. I bite my lip to hide a smile.

“Don’t you always?” He smiles down at his hands before looking at me.

“Why did you come here tonight?” his tone held all of the social rules and beliefs that I hated, but it wasn’t accusing, it was just Curious.

“Because I wanted to be with you,” his eyes light up.

“Do you think the muggles are right?”

“About what?”

“About… You know…” he trails off and his cheeks flush red again. He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes and blurts out “about two people being… together… Before they’re married,” I can almost feel the comprehension crossing my face. I raise an eyebrow and smile a small, gently smile.

“Newt, are you worried that you’re going to hell?” I ask and he shakes his hands, still staring at his hands. “Well then what is it?” He glances up at me, his lips pressed into a small half smile.

“I’m worried that I might have…” he looks up at me, his eyes pleading for me to understand.

“Wait is this about my soul being tarnished?” his jaw clenches and he looks down at his hands as he nods again. “Pass me that pillow, would you?” he looks at me in surprise at the change of topic but hands It to me anyway. I carefully slide out from underneath Credence and place the pillow under his head. He stirs a little but only enough to shut his mouth. I kneel in front of Newt and take his hands in mine, resting them on his knees. I force myself into his line of sight and smile when he meets my gaze.

“Newton Scamander, I have been in love with you since I met you. What we did wasn’t a sin. Even if it was, I don’t believe in the religious rules of muggles. They were written far too long ago to be relevant anymore,”

“But they say the rules are traditional,” he murmurs, biting the inside of his lip.

“You know what else is traditional? The rules that say that werewolves are sub-human and don’t deserve the rights of ordinary wizards. That Centaurs are primitive. Nifflers are a household pet to be exterminated. These are all traditional things, but you know better, don’t you?” he’s smiling at me weakly and I reach up to kiss him softly. “I don’t care what the muggle’s bible says. I’m not a muggle, and theirs is not my God. I’m not going to hell, because I don’t regret what we did,” my voice falters, the smile fading and I look at him with wide eyes. “Do… Do you?” his gaze snaps up to meet mine.

“Do I what?”

“Regret it?” his expression softens and he presses a kiss to my forehead.

“No,” he says simply and my anxiety disappears as suddenly as it arrived. He pulls me up into his lap and I nestle my head into his shoulder. “I’d never regret that,” he stroked my hair gently and I breathed in the smell of him.

 

The next thing I knew I was waking up, wrapped in Newts arms, in front of the burned down fire, we’d been covered in Credence’s duvet and I could hear him in the kitchen, muttering to himself. I carefully disentangle myself from Newt, press a gentle kiss to his cheek, and wander into the kitchen.

“Morning, Credence,” I say, leaning in the doorway, smiling.

“Morning mom,” he says offhandedly then freezes. A smile spreads across my face that he doesn’t see. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that,” I cross the room to him and hug him.

“You don’t have to be sorry, you can call me that if you want,” it takes a little while but soon enough, he’s wrapping his arms around me too. I draw back and he’s smiling one of the most genuine smiles I’ve ever seen on him. Nothing forced in his gentle expression.

“Now, what would you like for breakfast?” I ask and he looks down at his hands. _We’re still working on him making decisions, he’s still so scared of giving the wrong answers_ I remember Newt saying fondly. “Well, let’s have a look to see what Newt has here, okay?” he nods and I walk to the refrigerator which turns out to be mostly empty. “He’s not very good at grocery shopping, is he?” I joke and he smiles, fidgeting with the hem of his pyjama top. I glance at him and realise that the pyjamas must have been newts because they don’t fit him properly. “I’ll tell you what? How about we wake him up, and we all go out to breakfast, and on the way home, we can get you some things. Sound good?”

“I don’t need anything,” he protests weakly and I sigh.

“Well you at least need some pyjamas that fit you, you’ll freeze to death in those,” he nods. “Right, for now, I’d like you to go get ready to go out, alright?” he smiles and nods again, walking out of the room, still playing with the hem of the pyjamas. I go to walk out of the kitchen, but I notice a piece of paper and a pencil on the table. I look closer and see that it’s an intricate almost realistic drawing of two people curled up on an arm chair. Upon closer inspection, I realise it’s a drawing of Newt and I, fast asleep, underneath there was a scribbled note “what family means” I smile to myself and stick it to the refrigerator with a magnet and walk into the living room and gently sit in Newt’s lap and gently nuzzle his neck.

“God morning, my love,” he mutters groggily, his eyes still closed and my heart skips a beat. _My love_.

“Good morning, handsome,” I reply and his grip tightens on me and he turns his head to look at me, his eyes still sleepy and unfocused.

“How did you sleep?” he asks, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

“Wonderfully, thanks to you,” reply pressing a matching kiss to his cheek. _This exchange of kisses is something I could get used to._ I think, my heart beating faster. “How about yourself?”

“Very well,” he replies, his foggy eyes finally focussing on me.

“Come on, get dressed, we’re going out for breakfast, then we are getting Credence some clothes that actually fit,” he smiles sheepishly.

“I haven’t been paid by my editor yet,” he mutters, not meeting my gaze.

“It’s alright,” I bite my lip and my cheeks burn. “He called me ‘mom’ earlier,” he grins.

“He’s only eight years younger than you, love,”

“I don’t care. He is a small boy who needs love and I am more than happy to give it to him,”

“That’s why I love you,” he says offhandedly and he freezes. So do I, a grin spreading slowly across my face. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs and I kiss him.

“Don’t be, silly man!”

“What do you-” I press my lips hard to his, my hands placed on the sides of his neck as our lips move together. “I love you too,” I whisper, breathless.

“You do?” he looks completely stunned and I grin up at him.

“Of course I do, you dummy,” Credence appears in the doorway and smiles at us.

“Good morning, Credence,” Newt greets him, his hair a mess and his face cracked in a smile.

“Morning,” I look over at the boy, feeling happier than I had since the day Newt had gotten back from New York. Credence is wearing a grey suit that is a size too big and I smile, getting my wand from the mantle.

“Arms out to the sides please,” he gingerly raises his arms “that’s the way,” I bite my lip and wave my wand, the seams unstitching and restitching so that the three piece suit fits him better. “That’s much better, don’t you think, Newt?” I glance at Newt but he is looking at me with happy, wide eyes. “Newt, his suit, do you think the seams are right?” Credence still has his arms raised.

“It looks wonderful,” he says, tearing his eyes away from me and the boy breaks into a wide smile, his eyes crinkling.

“You can put your arms down now, love,” he jumps a little, as if he hadn’t realised that he was still holding them up. “Right, now I think it’s time Newt and I get ready, we’ll be right back,” he nods and sits down as I hold a hand out to Newt, who takes it.

In Newt’s room, I shut the door and make my way to where my small case sat on the rocking chair, I open it up and reach into the depths, before withdrawing and waving my wand.

“Accio Cream skirt suit,” and it flies out, I drape it over the back of the chair and call for a white blouse, which appears as well. After several moments I had also retrieved my shoes and undergarments. With no thought for modesty, I drop my robe and begin to dress, pulling my undergarments, securing my garter belt around my waist before sitting on the side of the bed to pull on my beige stockings, securing them to my suspenders and looking at Newt for the first time, who is staring at me with his mouth open. “What?” his eyes flicker down from my face to my brassiere clad chest, to the garter belt and stockings, but they return to my face quickly.

“You seem so comfortable,” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.

“You saw far more of me last night, it would be foolish for me to be anything other than comfortable,” I fix him with a wink and he smiles, closing the gap between us, his arms winding around my waist and hugging me tightly. I chuckle and tuck my head under his chin. “Now, it’s about time you get dressed,” I say after a long while and he sighs.

“Why are we going out?”

“Because you have no food in the house and Credence has never been to Diagon Alley,” he stiffens but nods. “He deserves to learn about his world,” I add, drawing away.

“Are we going to get him a wand?” I consider this for a moment and shake my head.

“Not today, I don’t think, however I want to go to the apothecary, I need to make another Wiggenweld potion and I don’t have a few ingredients,” He smiles and makes his way to his cupboard, drawing out the blue coat that he loves so much, and a slightly mismatched suit, with a brown vest and pair of trousers, and a black blazer. “Oh really, Newt, don’t you have anything that matches,” he grins lopsidedly at me.

“Occupational Hazard, I’m afraid, things keep tearing my jackets,” I purse my lips but can’t hide the smile for very long. Soon enough my hair and makeup is done, he’s dressed, and basic hygiene is taken care of. We walk into the living room where I slip my wand out of its pocket inside my blazer and summon my hat and apothecary bag from the kitchen.

“Credence, darling, are you ready to go?” I ask and he jolts upright before turning to face us. He had been kneeling by the fireplace. He’s holding his hand behind his back and I look at him with confusion. “What’s the matter?” I ask when I notice the tears in his eyes. I step towards him, holding out my hand and he gingerly holds his hand out to show me, the shin was quickly blistering and I look at him with confusion. “Love, did you do this to yourself?” he doesn’t meet my eye but nods.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers and put the hand that had been holding my bag – which I had released at the sight of his hand – on the side of his face.

“You don’t have to be sorry, but we do need to get you fixed up, alright?” he nods and I sit him down in the arm chair and kneel in front of him, drawing my wand again and whispering a healing charm. The blisters began to heal quickly and Credence watched in fascination. “Now, darling, why did you do that?” I ask, looking up at him.

“I-I don’t know…”

“Was it something you thought you had to do?” he bites his lip but nods. “Well, I have an alternative for you, one that won’t cause you any lasting damage,” he looks at me in puzzlement as I conjure up an elastic band and place it over his thin wrist. “When things get a bit too much, and you want to put your hand in a fire or the like, I want you to pull the elastic band a little ways, and let it go, alright?” he tries it, gingerly, and seems satisfied with the little red mark it left on his skin. I stand up and brush off the dust on my knees. “Right then, shall we go?” I ask as Newt shakes his head as if to clear it. Newt nods and I notice the case in his hands. “Have you fixed that thing yet?” he looks at me sheepishly. I let out a sigh before saying “Well then I would like it b-” I catch myself before I say _belted_ with a sideways glance at Credence, “tied shut, the last thing we need today is for your niffler to get out in Diagon Alley, considering there’s usually at least one of the Prophet’s journalists out and about,” the explanation seems to pursued him as his book had only just been released, and that was not the kind of press he needed.

Several minutes later, when the case is tied shut with no less than four belts, we are ready to leave. Credence already knows how to use the Floo Network, so we decide to go that way, as he still wasn’t used to side-along Apparition.

“Okay, Credence, You know what you have to say?”

“The Leaky Cauldron,” he says without stuttering and I smile.

“Very good. Now I will go first, then you, and then when he’s sure you’re off safely, Newt will come last,” he nodded and I threw a handful of powder into the fireplace, stepped into the green flames, stating my destination, then feeling the nauseating pull of the floo network and I am soon being spat out to the grubby floor of the damp smelling wizarding pub. I walk to the bar and order a pot of tea, three “american Breakfasts” with fried eggs and bacon, and two hot Chocolates. Moments later, a lanky bundle of arms and legs is sprawled out on the floor and I chuckle, pulling him to his feet. I pull out my soot roller and begin to dust him off, moving onto myself. I’d just managed to get the last of the soot out of my nylons when Newt comes stumbling out, the blue tweed coat practically covered in soot. I sigh and when it takes too long to remove the soot, I draw my wand and mutter “Tergeo,” and the soot syphons off and back into the fireplace. He smiles at me and we make our way to a table. Credence is looking around in concerned fascination.

“Are there going to be a lot of people?” he asks quietly and Newt checks his watch.

“Well it’s still early, and it’s the middle of the school term still, so there shouldn’t be too many,” he says and Credence sighs with relief as our drinks arrive, the tea tray is placed in front of Newt, and the hot chocolates are put in front of credence and I. He smiles but still sniffs the hot chocolate apprehensively but apparently it passes his test because he takes a small sip, followed by several larger ones.

“What do you think?” I ask him and he smiles up at me, and I can’t help but giggle at the froth moustache.

“It’s good, not as good as the ones you make though,” Newt laughs as he thanks the innkeeper for the delicate floral pattern teacup that has been placed in front of him.

“I might just have to give them a few tips,” I say with a wink and Credence laughs.

“So what’s the plan for today?” Newt asks, pouring milk into his tea.

“Well, I need to go to the apothecary to replenish my supplies, we need to go to the seamstress, and I’m sure we will find many other ways to entertain ourselves, but before any of that, Gringotts,” I pause and look over at Credence. “How well do you handle going quickly?”

“W-What do you mean?” his eyes are wide and I smile, patting his hand, which was resting on the table.

“Well in the wizard bank, you have to go to your vault in a cart, but they go very fast, so I was wondering if you might want to wait upstairs with Newt until I’m done,” he had paled somehow further when I mentioned the cart, but the colour slowly crept back into his cheeks at the mention of waiting.

“Would it be a bother to wait for you?” I smile.

“Not at all, I’ll only take a few minutes, my vault isn’t that far from the door,” he smiles and at that moment, our breakfast arrives on trays. He goggles at the sheer amount of food that had been placed in front of him and looks at me questioningly.

“You don’t have to eat anything you don’t like, and if you can’t finish it, that’s not a problem, alright?” he smiles.

“It feels strange,” he says, looking at his plate, and I look at him in surprise, he wasn’t one that usually spoke without prompting, so this was a big step.

“What does?”

“That I’m not going to get in trouble for things like that; and that I can ask for things, and I won’t be punished,”

“That’s what love means,” I say simply.

We spend the next thirty minutes eating, talking and drinking until we couldn’t eat anymore. As usual, Newt finished the leftovers with a sheepish smile at me, retrieving the sausage from my plate when I nodded my assent. Credence finished everything on his plate, aside from the fried tomato.

“Well then, I’ll pay for this and we can get going,”

“I really should-” I hold up a hand to stifle Newts protests.

“Don’t be silly, Newt,” I smile and peck him on the cheek. “You’re paying for dinner, I’m sure that will be more than a small handful of sickles,” I wink at him and he blushes. I pay for our meals, pick up my bag and coat from the bag room, and offer an arm to Credence. “Now, I would like you to trust me, do you feel okay with that?” I ask him, and he nods, smiling apprehensively. “okay, I want you to take my arm, and close your eyes. Don’t peek until I say so, alright?” he nods again, winding his arm through mine so that we are linked at the elbows. Newt opens the door for us and taps the brick that opens the gateway to the Wizarding world. I step through, and position us so that when Credence opens his eyes, he will be able to see the bright happiness of the alley. “Okay, love, you can open your eyes now,” I am looking at him and when his eyes have adjusted, his jaw drops.

“Woah… And this is all magic stuff?” he asks and I nod, he’s looking around, trying to take everything in.

“It is, and you know what else?” he looks down at me in confusion.

“What?”

“Here, you can ask for anything you want,” his eyes widen and he starts to shake his head.

“I’m not saying we will buy you everything you’re heart desires today, but you can ask, and we will do what we can to make it happen, alright?” he ponders this compromise for a little while before agreeing. We walked along the street slowly, letting him take things in as we go. And then he spotted the Magical Menagerie and he froze. “What’s wrong?”

“Can… Would it be alright, I mean, if I went in there to wait?” I smile and look at Newt who laughs.

“That would be just fine, I’ll be back in just a moment, alright?” I stand on my toes and give Credence a kiss on the cheek, then kiss Newt quickly before whispering in his ear. “If he falls in love with something, get it for him, won’t you?” I ask, slipping my coin purse into his pocket and he nods. I kiss him again and watch as the boys hurry inside the pet shop.

Not long after, I am ascending the marble steps of Gringotts wizarding bank. The greeter goblin nods to me respectfully and I nod back. I wait in a line of impatient witches and wizards, smiling slightly, knowing that the only thing that will happen if you are rude, is that you will be dealing with a surly goblin; and that’s not pleasant for any involved.

“Good morning,” a goblin says, without looking up.

“Good morning, Ragnar,” I say brightly and this seems to catch him off guard and he looks at me, then offers something that I am sure is akin to a smile.

“Madame Grey,” he says, inclining his head briefly.

“Won’t you call me Minnie? You’ve known me long enough to,” he purses his lips.

“Can we compromise on Winifred,” I sigh but nod.

“I’d like to go to my vault, please,” I say, offering him the key that I slip out of my pocket. He takes it, checks it, then steps down from the podium and gestures for me to follow him towards the vaults. “How have you been keeping?” I ask pleasantly.

“Just fine, the school rush is over now, so that’s always a good thing,” I chuckle and he looks up at me. “I heard about your mother, I’m sorry,” I stiffen slightly but he notices. “A fine woman, a great witch,”

“She was a great witch, though I’m not so sure that she could ever have been described as a fine woman,” we board the cart and I hold on tightly.

“You forget that I knew her as a girl, before the nastiness with, well, you know,” I nod and look at the passing vaults.

“I do miss her, if that’s what you want me to say,”

“Only if it’s true, Winifred,”

“It is,”

“Well other than that, how have you been?” Ragnar was the only Goblin I had ever met that genuinely enjoyed small talk.

“Well enough, I’ve taken in an american boy, as a sort of ward,” he looks up at me in surprise as we come to a halt outside my vault.

“I never saw you as the maternal type,” We climb out of the cart and he opens the door to the vault, heirlooms and artifacts lie there, but I ignore them, gathering handfuls of sickles, knuts, and galleons and putting them in the larger leather pouch that I had bought, one that could only be opened by me.

“Well, he’s technically only eight years younger than me. He’s the obscurial that was in the papers a few months back,”

“I read about him, poor thing,” I gape at him.

“Look at you! Getting soft in your old age!” I joke and he blushes. I go to close my vault before something catches my eye that I had somehow never noticed before; a hair clip, silver and encrusted with sapphires. “Ragnar, was this put here recently?” he nods.

“It was in your mother’s will, she instructed that it be put in your vault,”

“Oh..”

“Is that a shock?”

“Actually, yes… I’d been told that she hadn’t left me anything, that everything had gone to my brother and sister,” the words come out of their own volition and I reach out and pick it up. “It’s the only thing of my grandmother’s that she had,”

“Well maybe she thought that this would be enough,” he says and I nod, slipping the clip into the pouch and closing the vault door. “So, are there any young men that you have your sights on?” he jokes, knowing I had never had much interest but he looks shocked when I blush.

“There is,” I admit and he smiles approvingly.

“What’s his name? Would I know him?”

“Newt Scamander,” his face falls slightly. “What is it?”

“Oh… It’s just… I don’t want you falling for someone who can’t look after you, is all,” I laugh at this as we climb back into the cart and set off at a nerve wracking speed.

“As if I’ve ever needed someone to look after me. I can look after myself just fine, no, I’ve never wanted a protector, I’ve wanted a companion, and that’s what I have now,” the smile returns to his wrinkled face and I give a sigh of relief. “Besides, he’s terribly clever, he’s written a book,”

“I know, someone said it was hogwash, that no magical beast could be tamed like he claims,”

“Not tamed, befriended, there’s a difference. And no matter what anyone says he has more practical experience than any wizard I’ve ever met,”

“Well, if you think so highly of him, I won’t doubt you,” by now we are coming to a halt at the entrance. I lean down, give him a quick kiss on the forehead, like I always used to, and we said our farewells. I take the stairs two at a time, almost slipping down them. I nod hello to several other shoppers, some topped in high pointed hats, others in their muggle clothes, mismatched and sometimes completely out of place. I’m just outside the menagerie when it happens.

Someone grabs my arm and pulls me into a dark gap between two buildings opposite where I need to be. I’m slammed, face first into a wall and I feel my wand crack under the pressure.

“Don’t scream,” a harsh voice whispers in my ear and I freeze, trying to to breathe in the foul stench of the man’s breath. “The boss feels slighted,” he hisses at me and I clench my eyes tighter shut.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I protest meekly but my arm is twisted harder behind my back.

“Bullshit. I think you know exactly what you promised Mr Black,”

“I didn’t promise Black anything, I didn’t even agree!” he hisses his laughter.

“That’s what they all say, come on,” I can feel him preparing to aparate when I hear him gasp and he releases his grip on me. I turn around and see Newt standing not fifteen feet away, his wand pointed and his face furious. I sigh with relief and step away from the stumbling man and realise it is one of the sons of Emmett Goyle.

“Are you alright?” Newt asks, holding his hand out to me, which I take and scramble behind him.

“I think so,” I gasp, staring at the man and clutching Newt’s arm.

“Stand aside, Scamander,” Goyle commanded gruffly.

“Not a chance,” he says, throwing another hex at the man that is at least twice the size of him, it hits him square in the face and his nose starts to grow rapidly. Then we hear running footsteps and someone in ministry robes runs passed us, binding Goyle efficiently and reversing the engorgement charm. Newt turns to me and I suddenly realise that there are tears falling down my cheeks.


	2. Surprises and Forgetfulness

“Mom!” Credence is looking at me from across the cobblestone with panicked wide eyes. I smile weakly at him and when his eyes fall on Goyle, his eyes fill with rage and he takes a large step forward. Fearing the worst, I catch his eye and look at him meaningfully.

“Honey, I’m okay, come here,” his eyes soften and he nods, taking a more tentative step towards me.

“Are you okay?” he asks and I nod. Just then an Auror steps over to us, and Newt drops his other hand from my cheek.

“Would you like me to fix that up for you?” she asks me and all of a sudden I realise its Alesha, her dark red hair pulled into a low, tight bun below the brim of her hat.

“Please,” I say, reaching up and pulling my hat off. A moment later the sharp pain is ebbing away and then gone completely. Newt used the scouring charm to get most of the grime and blood off of my clothes.

“What happened?” she asks and I sigh, instinctively reaching out for Credence’s hand, which he takes after a moment.

“He was going to take me to see Black. He just grabbed me and pushed me against the wall and I hit my head… And my wand snapped,” it’s this detail that brings the tears back and I reach into my wand pocket with shaking hands. I draw out my wand and with relief, I see that it is still mostly intact.

“We can go to Ollivander’s when we’re done here, okay?” Newt murmurs to me, pressing a kiss to the side of my head.

“Why was he taking you to see Mr Black?” I swallow and look at my feet.

“What is it?” she presses, more sternly than she would if she wasn’t on the clock.

“When we were at school, my mother, in a desperate grab for status, tried to arrange for Arcturus Black the third and I to be betrothed. He seems to think that I promised him my hand despite being quite loudly opposed to the arrangement from its inception,” I can feel Newt’s eyes on me but I don’t look up at him.

“is the first time this has happened?” I shake my head.

“It’s the first time in a long time, though. I usually don’t hang around places where I can be recognised,”

“Why was today different?” she is taking notes with a muggle fountain pen on a notebook and for a split second, this amuses me.

“Credence had never been anywhere like this… And there was no food in the house so we brought him here…” I trail off, finally glancing at Newt, who, to my relief, has nothing but compassion in his eyes.

“Okay, I need you to tell me exactly what happened, and then you can go. Firstly, do you want to press any charges against him?”

“I.. uh… I’m not sure,” then a tall man with dark skin steps in.

“We don’t need her to press charges, Wilkens saw the tail end of the attack, we can press the charges ourselves,” he glances at me and I look at him with as much gratitude as I can muster. “That will protect her from any possible ramifications,”

“Thank you, so much,” he nods to me before joining the escort that surrounds Goyle, wands drawn and pointing at the hulking figure. I tell Alesha about what we had done today, who I spoke to at the bank, and a detailed account of the short encounter.

“That should be enough,” she says when I was done.

“Thank you, Ally,” I say and she grins at me.

“Stop getting yourself in trouble, alright?” I laugh weakly.

“I can’t help that it comes looking for me,” she rolls her eyes and makes to step away.

“Alesha, might I have a word?” Newt interjects before she can leave. She nods and they step away, I watch them curiously, Alesha grins and looks at me, then back at Newt, and then a moment later they break apart, she steps towards the ministry Press building, and Newt steps towards Credence and I.

“what was that about?” I ask and he smiles mischievously, not quite meeting my eye.

“Tonight, I asked her if she would mind staying with Credence while we go out,” I glance up at Credence but he’s smiling.

“You don’t mind that, do you, love?” I ask and he shakes his head vigorously.

“No! She tells me stories about dragons!” I laugh and so does Newt.

“Now that’s all sorted, I believe Credence has something he wanted to ask you,” Newt prompts and Credence’s cheeks flare bright red.

“What is it?”

“I… Um… Come here,” he starts to pull me towards the menagerie and I follow, intrigued. Inside, a plump witch with dragonhide gloves and an apron is just straightening up over a small enclosure of fire crabs.

“Hello, again!” she greets us cheerily.

“Hello, Mrs Henlop,” I reply and she grins ear to ear.

“Well I didn’t think I’d see you back here, Winnifred,”

“Well, work has picked up so I can afford to come back,” I say with a wink and she laughs. Credence pulls me over to an enclosure that contains what looks like three small brown kittens, with ears that looked like they belonged to an adult lynx, and a tail like a lions. “These are kneazles, aren’t they?” I ask and Credence nods. “Would you like one?” I ask gently and he looks at me with wide eyes.

“Would that be okay? You don’t have to-”

“Love, I wouldn’t offer if it wasn’t okay,” he chews on his bottom lip and I smile softly. “Now, would you like one?” he smiles back at me and nods. I glance over as Mrs Henlop bustles over to us.

“Temperamental little things, they can be,” she tells us.

“They can tell if someone is… Not good… can’t they?” Credence asks her quietly and she beams at him.

“They can indeed, my boy. Here, how about this; I put you all in the back room and let you meet the kneazles, then you can decide if one is right for you?” I glance up at credence, who nods.

“That would be lovely, thank you,”

Five minutes later, Newt and I are seated on chairs in the back room, and Credence is sitting cross-legged on the floor at our feet. Mrs Henlop comes in a moment later with the enclosure and closes the door behind her. Then, she opens the enclosure door and the kneazles all step out, looking around apprehensively. They all make their way over to us and begin taking the measure of Credence. Two of them sniff around him, seem to decide that he was not threatening, and then begin playing with each other. The smallest, however, was staring into his eyes, its mismatched eyes unblinking. Then after a moment it steps into his lap, curled up and went to sleep. Credence begins to play with the fur behind its ears and it begins to purr softly. He looks up at me and I can see tears in his eyes.

“What is it?” I ask him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“It would know if I was bad… wouldn’t it?” he asks, voice shaking.

“It would,” I say and he smiles, looking back down at the little ball of purring fur in his lap.

“So… If it trusts me enough to sleep… That means I’m not bad… Right?” he asks and I smile, leaning forward and kissing his forehead.

“You are the purest good I have ever met,” I whisper to him and he smiles. “How much is it?” I ask, looking back up at Mrs Henlop, who I realise is crying as well.

“She would ordinarily be twenty-five galleons, but I’ll give her to you for nineteen,”

“Thank you so much. We’ll take her, a travel basket, and anything else we need for her,” I say decisively. “She’s yours, Love,” I say to Credence as Mrs Henlop shepherds the other two into the enclosure.

“Thank you, thank you thank you,” he hasn’t taken his eyes off of the kneazle.

“That’s perfectly okay. Now, I am going to go gather the things we will need for her, why don’t you stay here with her and think up a name?” the thought of being left alone seems to scare him, it’s written all across his face. “Newt, could you stay with him?” I add and his shoulders relax. I look over at Newt, who is looking at me with his mouth half open in a smile, with loving eyes. “What?”

“You are wonderful,” he tells me and I blush.

“I..” I am, for once, totally lost for words. I kiss him on the cheek and head out of the back room. Mrs Henlop is opening the doors again, signifying that the store was once again open.

“We need to get your license sorted, so that you can keep her,” she tells me, stepping behind the counter.

“Of course,”

“Will she be in your name?”

“Can you get a parental license?” I ask and she looks at me curiously.

“Yes but I don’t see wh-”

“I’d like one of those please. He’s only just seventeen and I have taken him into my care,” I tell her and she smiles.

“He has an interesting accent,”

“He lived in America until just recently,” I tell her shortly but her eyes widen.

“Is he the boy I read about in the prophet?” I glance over my shoulder at the closed door the back room.

“Yes, but he doesn’t know about that, alright? He’s had a rough childhood and we’re only just getting him on his feet,” I say hurridly and he holds up her hands.

“Say no more,” She says, and begins filling the blank spaces on a piece of parchment. “Did you hear the Potions Professor at Hogwarts resigned the other week?”

“I hadn’t heard that,” I reply, stunned.

“He was in the Cauldron not last night! All a bluster about the new Headmaster,” I look at her in shock.

“Tredolphus always seemed like a respectful old man,”

“Old is the right word for it, doddery old fool,” she mutters and I can’t help but laught.

“Wait… Did you say New headmaster?” She raises an eyebrow at me.

“Headmaster Black passed away last year,” I feel a stab of pain in my chest. Black had always been kind to me, and after I begged, he made sure the arrangement never happened. Turns out his Wife was all for it, but he hadn’t been.

“Oh.. I see. Where is he buried?” She looks up at me in confusion.

“Oh of course, you were in his house, weren’t you?” I nod.

“He’s the only reason I made it through my NEWTs at all,” I say, filling in relevant details on the parchment she handed me.

“Well you’re lucky, he certainly didn’t take to me. But he is buried in the cemetery in Hodgsmede. His son wanted to bury him somewhere near that ruddy manor of theirs, but he insisted that his students must be able to visit him,”

“Thank you. He held a bit of a grudge against all Hufflepuffs, if I am being honest. Seemed to think you’re all Lazy. I had several arguments with him about it,”

“Several?” she seems a bit bothered about the Hufflepuff comment.

“I spent a lot of time in his Office when I couldn’t sleep. I was always very pro Hufflepuff. I said that you would never meet anyone truer than a Hufflepuff,” I bite my lip to hide my smile.

“That Newt Scamander that is trailing after you, he’s a Hufflepuff, isn’t he?” I blush but nod.

“He seems like a good lad. Did I hear that he’s releasing a book?”

“He is, about magical creatures,”

“Is it good?”

“Insanely, you’d love it,” I say with a wink and she laughs.

“So when is the big day?” I’m not even looking at her but I can feel the piercing blue eyes on me and the blush prickling at my cheeks.

“I-Uh… He hasn’t- we aren’t-” look up at her and she is looking at me, obviously shocked.

“I’m sorry, I just assumed… The way you are together,” I smile at her.

“You don’t have to be sorry,” I sign the bottom of the form and sigh. “I’ll go get Credence,” I say quietly, picking up carrier that is near the kneazle cage. I knock on the door before cracking it open. Credence is lying on his back with the kneazle on his chest, swatting playfully at his nose. Newt is on the floor next to him, grinning from ear to ear. “Credence, love, I just need you to fill in a little paperwork and then she will be yours,” he nods, scooping the kneazle into his arms as he sits up. I step in and open the carrier, which he gently places the curious cat-like creature into. “Have you thought of a name?” he bites his lip and nods.

“Faith,” he says simply, blushing a little.

“That’s a wonderful name,” I tell him, patting his hair down gently. “Now, there’s a form on the counter, you just need to fill in your details, okay?” he nods, beaming down at me. He steps over to the counter and I hear Credence murmuring his replies to Mrs Henlop. I set the carrier down and step over to Newt, sitting in front of him as he smiles at me, an arm draped over his knee. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I murmur, not looking at him.

“Tell me what?” he sounds confused.

“About… The arrangement I told Alesha about,” I risk a glance up at me but he’s still smiling.

“It was a long time ago, and none of my business,” he tells me and I smile.

“I was sure Arcturus would have given up on me by now. I thought he would have moved on,”

“I wouldn’t have,” he murmurs, starting to fidget.

“What?” I look up at him in surprise and his freckles are suddenly in stark contrast with the bright red that had just flushed his face.

“I… I don’t think what he’s doing is right… But if you’d been promised to me, I wouldn’t give up on you,” I am totally lost for words and I assume my face is as red as his.

“Mom? I’m all done,” Credence says, leaning in the door.

“Okay, why don’t you pick out a collar? Any one you’d like,” I say, smiling up at him over my shoulder. “We’ll be right out,” he smiles and disappears back out.

“You’d never need to,” I mutter and he grins, leaning forward and kissing me, cradling my face in his hands.

“I love you,” he whispers.

“I love you too,” I whisper back, grinning.

“Let’s go,” he says, taking my hand and standing up.

“Did you know that Professor Black died?” I ask as we step out of the back room.

“What? No. I had no idea,”

“And Tredolphus has resigned,” his eyes widened at this and I stoop to pick up the carrier.

“Really?”

“Apparently he hasn’t taken to the new Headmaster,”

“Who is it?”

“No idea,” Credence is standing at a rack of colourful collars, some in odd shapes and sizes. “Found any you like, love?” he smiles, holding out a pale blue one with a bell and name tag hanging from a loop at the front.

“I like this one,” he says quietly and I smile.

“That will look lovely with her fur,” he smiles broadly at me. I look over at the counter where a cat bed, bag of dried kneazle food, and a few different toys were sitting. “Is that everything?” when he nods, the three of us walk to the counter and I hand over the grand sum of twenty galleons and 19 sickles. “Thank you so much!” I say to Mrs Henlop as we exit the store, Credence clutching the carrier in his hand.

“Thank you, Mom,” Credence says for about the hundredth time, but I could never get tired of the way he says it.

“You’re very welcome, my darling. We just need to make a stop at Ollivander's to see to my wand, and then we can get Ice cream, if you like,” his face brightens as he looks through the shop windows as we pass. Newt squeezes my hand and I look glance over at him, he’s looking over at a commotion near the junk shop.

“Where did this Niffler come from?!” Someone is shouting and I suddenly understand. I glare down at Newt’s case and, sure enough, the edges are bent slightly where something has squeezed its way out.

“Newton Artemis Fido Scamander, you better not have let that ruddy niffler loose again,” he looks at me sheepishly and I sigh. “Well you better go get it before someone turns him into stew,” I say darkly, and like that, he is hurrying off, completely forgetting to let go of my hand so that I am towed behind him, grabbing hold of credence before he can get lost in the crowd. Newt releases my hand and for several minutes, Credence watch him, unsuccessfully, attempt to catch the Niffler. When I am convinced he has learned his lesson, I reach into the shopping bag in my hand and draw out the collar. I lean close to the ground and begin to shake it, the shiny silver bell jingling loudly. I’m met with a few odd stares, but within seconds, the niffler is hanging onto the bell for dear life, attempting to pull it from my hands. Credence is laughing at the futile attempt when Newt makes his way over to us, panting slightly. “You’re losing your touch, love,” I say with a wink and he grins at me, pulling the niffler away from the new collar and turning him upside down and beginning to tickle the small creature’s tummy. A waterfall of personal items cascade from its pouch, forming a small pile on the ground, from which several witches and wizards are pulling their belongings. There were several mutterings along the lines of “bloody nifflers” and “Pets… more like pests if you ask me”. Finally everyone had gathered their things, and then I hear the muffled giggles and glance up at the boy behind me.

“What is it?” Newt asks Credence with amusement, wrestling the niffler back into his case, but the boy only laughs harder.

“Just before I met you,” he’s talking to Newt and paused to catch his breath between laughs. “Mary Lou accused me of stealing her earrings,” Newt and I share a confused look until Credence points at the ground, where a horrid pair of silver earrings in the shape of crucifixes were lying and we both begin to understand. “She beat me for it. But she was robbed… by a niffler,” he starts to cackle and I can’t help but smile. This was the first time I’d seen him more than chuckle. I go to draw my wand and then remember. After a moment, ha had calmed down and I see a single tear trickling down his cheek. I reach up and wipe the tear away with my thumb.

“What do you want to do with them?” he stares at them, still smiling, and shrugs.

“I don’t care,”

“Newt, could I borrow your wand?” I ask him and he looks at me curiously but hands it to me anyway. I look at Credence with a smile, “let’s make them into something pretty, shall we?” He nods once. I point Newt’s wand at the ghastly earrings and say “Avifors,” and they turn into a pair of small silver and blue birds, which tweet happily for a moment, then fly to the rooftop of a nearby shop.

“Woah,” Credence is staring at them, smiling.

“One day, you’ll know how to do that too, if you like,” his eyes light up as I hand Newt’s wand back. I place my hand in the crook of Newt’s arm when he has finished buckling his case shut. I hold my hand out to Credence and he takes it. We proceed up the street to the door of Ollivander’s, hand in hand, arm in arm.

“Mr Scamander! Ms Grey! How lovely it is to see you both!” Ollivander calls happily, mere seconds after the bell above the door rang.

“Hello, Mr Ollivander,” Newt says, beaming at the older man.

“And who is this?” he asks, peering at Credence.

“This is Credence, he grew up in America,”

“Ah, my son talks about America so often,” he leans in towards Credence conspiratorially, “Better not let him hear you, you’d never shake him,” Credence laughs nervously. “Now, what can I do for you today?” he asks, polishing off a pair of round spectacles on a piece of cloth. I gingerly produce my cracked wand, which he takes from me carefully.

“I was in an altercation, and it cracked,” he places the spectacles low on his rather large nose.

“Did it crack from magic, or from physical strain?”

“Physical,” I supply quickly, something about Gervaise Ollivander has always sat strangely with me. “I was pushed into a wall,” he glances over at me then smiles.

“The core is not damaged, it will be an easy fix,” Credence steps away from me, and I glance over at him.

“M-Mr Ollivander?” he asks, not looking at the old man.

“Yes, my boy?” he replies, not looking away from where the tip of his wand is pointing at mine.

“Are- Are these boxes meant to shake?” he asks and his eyes flash up to Credence, he places his wand behind his ear and steps around the counter towards the shaking box that Credence is staring at.

“They aren’t but – Do you have a wand?” he asks Credence so suddenly that the boy cowers back. Before I even have the chance to, Newt is stepping forward, taking hold of Credence’s hand.

“No… I- I didn’t even know I was a wizard until recently,” He says and Mr Ollivander’s eyes brighten.

“My boy, this particular wand,” he starts, sliding the wooden lid out of place and showing Credence the pale brown wand inside, “Is made of vine. These wands are special, because they react so strongly to just being in the room with their prospective match,” he says and I watch on anxiously, not sure what will happen if Credence touches the wand.

“Prospective match?”

“It’s like I tell my son, the wand chooses the wizard, not the other way around. Vine wood wands are uncommon, I have not sold one in a decade,”

“Why are they uncommon?” Ollivander seems thrilled to have someone to teach and he delves into explanation, once again so abruptly that Credence startles.

“Because they seek out a truly special kind of wizard, unselfish, with a vision that goes much farther than that of ordinary people. Vine wands, like their owners, seek a greater purpose and have hidden depths that no one can ever truly fathom,” From the small amount of Credence’s face that I can see, I can tell he is full of wonder and questions.

“Wands… they have cores, don’t they? Things from animals that give them magic,”

“You catch on quickly. Yes, wands do have cores, the core for this one is Phoenix feather, which is why this wand has never been sold, even though my uncle made it some thirty years ago,” He trails off, looking at the wand in a mix of appraisal and awe.

“Does phoenix feather not like many people?” Credence’s tone is so innocent that Newt and I chuckle at the same time.

“It’s not that it doesn’t like people, it’s that it’s picky, like the vine. Phoenix feather requires a certain something of its wizard. Phoenixes are strong and independent, when you put their feathers into wands, they seek, not solidarity, but a wizard who is destined for something great,”

“So why would it rattle, when we came in,” he asks after a long moment, and I can see he’s chewing on the inside of his cheek.

“Not ‘we’ Credence,” Newt says quietly, “You,” I see the corners of Credence’s eyes widen and I smile. He looks back at me, his eyes full of questions. Newt looks back at me too, and we have a silent exchange which ends with small nods.

“Mr Ollivander?” I ask, stepping up to stand beside Newt. “Would it be alright for Credence to try this wand?” Credence’s entire face lights up.

“Of course!” This time, Credence doesn’t flinch. Ollivander holds the box out towards Credence who, after a final look at me, gingerly reaches out and picks up the wand, marvelling at the engraved length of it. “now, if you just point it – yes, just away from me, thank you – and give it a little wave,” When Credence waves his wand, eyes wide and the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end, pale yellow sparks fly out of the tip.

“Woah...” Credence sighs and looks around at us, grinning from ear to ear.

“Oh yes, that is spectacular,” Mr Ollivander whispers.

“How much is it?” I ask and Credence’s head whips around to look at me, his jaw dropped almost to his chin.

“No… No, it’s okay, I don’t need it,” Credence begins to protest.

“Love, the wand chose you,”

“Are you sure? You’ve bought me so much already,” as if to punctuate this, Faith mews in her carrier, which is sitting by the door.

“Credence, you have a lot of potential, I think you’ve waited long enough,” a sheepish smile spreads across his face.

“That particular wand is nine galleons,” I smile, put my hand into my money bag and bring out nine galleons and place them in a neat pile on the counter.

“And how much for my wand repair?”

“Just eight sickles please, It will be done in just a moment,” he collects the coins from the bench and bustles back to where my wand lies on the bench. He points his wand back at it and a pale violet light joins the two wands. I pull the sickles from my bag and place them on the counter. Credence is staring down at his wand, turning it over and over in his hands.

After a moment, Mr Ollivander is holding my wand out to me. I point it and murmur “Lumos,” and the tip lights up brightly. “Nox,” I say, satisfied and smiling. “Thank you very much,” I turn my head and see a young boy staring at Credence. The little boy is about ten, and he’s staring up at us. Credence is staring right back at him.

“Garrick!” Mr Ollivander scolds. The boy tears his pale blue eyes off of Credence to look at his father. “It’s rude to stare,”

“But Pa, his hair is funny,” Credence smiles.                                                                                

“I’m sorry,” Ollivander apologises, in part to Credence, and in part to me.

“No, it’s all right. It is a ludicrous haircut,” the boy grins up at him, his father looks unsure.

“Garrick, go upstairs please,” The boy looks disappointed but nods.

“Bye then,” he says with a wave before flouncing away.

“Bye,” Credence says quietly. Newt looks down at his watch and reaches down to pick up Faith’s carrier.

“We should get going too,” I nod and link my arm with Credence’s and Newt takes my hand.

“Is there anything else you want to do?” Credence asks quietly.

“Getting a bit tired, are you?” he smiles sheepishly at me and I glance at Newt.

“There’s nothing I need,” Newt replies.

“I just want to pop into flourish and blots, then we can get going, if you like?” Credence nods and I smile.

“What’s Flourish and Blotts?” he asks quietly.

“It’s a bookshop, I want to see something,”

“Okay,” he perks up a little. Newt swings our hands between us and looks around happily, his beautiful honey hair rustling in the light breeze. I am struck dumb for a moment by how the golden sunlight reflects in his seafoam eyes.

“What?” Newt asks, dumbfounded and I realise that I have stopped walking. I grin and lean over to kiss him on the cheek, which flush with colour.

“I love you,” I whisper in his ear as I draw back. His freckles stand out even more against his beet red cheeks. “Well let’s be on, then,” I say, starting to skip and the boys have to hurry to keep up, laughing. Credence adds a bit of a hop to his step, shyly.

“Love, you missed it,” Newt says breathily and I laugh at myself, no idea why I am suddenly feeling as giddy as a child. I let Newt pull Credence and I back towards the shop. We step inside and Credence’s eyes widen, his wand box in his hand, rattling slightly. The kneazle cub mewls in its carrier.

“Are you all right?” I ask, my hand tightening on Credence’s arm. He nods. “You can look around if you like, I’ll just be a moment,” I let go of his arm and he looks around in wonder. I make to kiss Newt on the cheek again just as he turns his head. The result is a brief kiss, which results in Newt looking around shyly before pecking me on the lips once more. I giggle and step away, stumble over a book, then step towards the woman at the counter.

“Good morning, dear,” she greets, though her tone isn’t as genial as she had obviously hoped.

“Good morning,” I pull a list out of my pocket and hold it out. “I was wondering if you have any of these?” she took the list from me briskly and looked down it, before bustling around the counter and totters towards the potions section. I follow behind her and she looks around the top shelves and hands me book after book until I can barely see over the top.

“There you are, dear,” suddenly cheerier at the prospect of selling no less than eight large books.

“Thank you,” I grunt and now it’s my turn to totter around the stacks of books on the floor. I place the books carefully on the counter and go to reach for my apothecary bag then realise that I don’t know where it is. I turn around and look around for Newt and beckon him over. “Newt, I’ve lost my bag,” his eyes widen as he looks around. “I must have dropped it when-” I gasp and suddenly feel tears welling in my eyes.

“Shh, it’s okay,” he says and pulls me into a hug, one hand in the middle of my back, the other resting on the back of my head. The next thing I know, there is shouting and calling outside and out of the corner of my eye I can see people out on the street jumping out of the way of something that was soaring towards the shop, my first thought Is that something else escaped from Newt’s case, but then I see Credence holding his wand. I’m still crying, overwhelmed by the sudden realisation of how much of a danger Black could potentially be. Then, soaring through the front doors (and the between the legs of a man who, I can only assume, is no longer wearing clean pants) flies my bag, hitting Credence in the stomach, causing him to fall backwards and let out a loud “oomph” sound.

“Credence!” Newt and I cry at once, hurrying through the stacks of books to where he now lay, gasping.

“I’m okay,” he looks up at us sheepishly, still holding onto his wand.

“Did you do that on purpose?” I ask, gobsmacked.

“If I wasn’t supposed to, I’m sorry,” the boy mumbles, obviously trying to fight back tears. I fall to my knees in front of him and hug him.

“You don’t have to be sorry, you did wonderfully,” Newt tells him and I nod.

“How did you do that?” I ask, drawing back and moving the bag off his lap.

“I- I don’t really know… I just was looking at my wand and then I saw you crying and I _really_ wanted to find it for you- I’m really not in any trouble?” I grin at him.

“You just performed a rather difficult piece of magic, I am very impressed, thank you,” he smiles nervously at me, and I get to my feet, holding a hand out to help Credence up too. He’s still nervous about casual contact like this, but he’s doing far better than when I first met him. I pick up my bag and turn back to the rather disgruntled shopkeeper. “Sorry about all that, it’s been a rather dramatic day,” she attempts a smile but on the twisted face, it contorts to a grimace.

“Sixteen Galleons, fourteen sickles, and five knuts please,” I nod and count out the right amount of coins and hand them to her. I unlock the drawer at the bottom of my bag and open it, hearing the faint rustling of the books I have in there, but add the eight books in as if nothing was amiss. I lock the drawer and stand up, thanking the woman for her patience.

“Didn’t you want to go to the apothecary?” Newt asks, as we step out of the bookshop and I glance up at Credence.

“I did but I can just ask Alesha to pick the ingredients up for me on her way to your house this evening,” Credence looks grateful and I smile. “Let’s go home, then,” I say to them both, taking Newts hand in mine.

The journey back to The three Broomsticks was uneventful and I found myself increasingly exhausted with every person we passed. There was a little bit of a line for the fireplace so the three of us stand behind an elderly wizard in mismatched muggle wear.

“Where do you live?” Credence asks, so suddenly that I jump a little.

“I have a flat in a muggle village, only about an hour from Newt’s house. Why?” He’s staring at his feet, shuffling.

“It’s just, I’ve never seen it,” I smile up at him.

“Well I’d love to show you one day,” I say with a smile.

“Can we go there now?” he asks hopefully and I bite my lip.

“After what happened today, Mr Black will be expecting me to go back there. I don’t want to put you in harm’s way,” he looks disappointed, but nods.

Using the Floo is not my favourite way to travel, but from the look on Credence’s face when I arrive after him, he seems to love it. When I look at his dusty suit my face falls.

“We were going to get you some clothes as well, weren’t we?” I say and he seems to have forgotten too.

“It’s okay, I can wait,”

“It’s only a short walk to the muggle village, I can get you something when I go to get some groceries later, how’s that sound?” he smiles, I draw out my wand and conjure a measuring tape, and with another wave of my wand, it is measuring him and with yet another flick of my wand, the measurements record themselves on a piece of parchment on the coffee table. He stands very still until Newt appears in the fireplace, which causes him to jump.

“All right?” he asks and I step around where the tape measure is wrapped around Credence’s waist, and kiss Newt on the cheek.

“All right,” I murmur.

“Here you are Credence, I think you can let her out now,” Newt hands the carrier, which I only now notice has the shopping bag tied to it, to Credence, whose eyes light up. Credence hurries to open it and Faith carefully steps out, looking around cautiously, then spots Credence and trots up to him, mewling softly. He sits down in front of her and pulls a yellow and green feathered toy and begins playing with her. I take my jacket off and with a wave of my wand, it hangs itself near the front door.


End file.
